I am so with you re: Trieste...if you need further proof of the rightness of this decision do pick up a copy of Jan Morris 'Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere'. I would add make time for Muggia (the other direction along the Triest coastline from Miramare) and take the tram from the city centre up to Opicina for amazing views, the ultimate stroll and an interesting glimpse into the very multiplicity of historical influence that make Trieste unique in Italy.

I'd say Ljubljana. I liked Rovinj and Istria, but you're right, it has lots of Italian influence. And you really need a car to enjoy Istria. Whereas you can do Ljubljana and Lake Bled with public transportation. And Lake Bled and the Julian Alps will make a nice contrast to the rest of your trip. I don't know much about Piran, but it's another seaside town.

I enjoyed both Istria and Ljubljana, but agree that Ljubljana would likely provide a greater contrast. I found it charming, lively, and friendly. I spent 2 nights there, so only one very full (and delightful) day. If your goal is to stroll and enjoy the atmosphere at a leisurely pace, 2 days would probably be ideal. As Mimar mentioned, you can also get to Lake Bled from Ljubljana by public transportation. I spent another 2 nights there, but you could probably visit it on a day trip if you prefer, in which case, I'd recommend that you add at least 1 day to your time in Slovenia. Hope that helps!

Thanks LJ! I'm very excited about visiting Trieste. Ever since I visited (and fell in love with) Turin and Bologna, I've been looking for underrated cities in Italy to visit.

Thanks Mimar and Kja! Ljubljana seems the place to visit. Like I said, Piran and Rovinj look beautiful, but they also look very Italian (or Venetian for that matter) and I kind of want to visit something different.

In fact, taking LJ's suggestion, I've decided to visit Muggia as a day trip from Trieste. I'm intrigued by Istria and Muggia belongs to the italian part of Istria. I've also included Villa Opicina. This is my new Trieste part:

Day 01: Arrival in Trieste
Day 02: Borgo Teresiano
Day 03: San Giusto Hill
Day 04: Miramare Castle
Day 05: Opicina (Napoleonica Path)
Day 06: Duino Castle
Day 07: Muggia

I have "La Coscienza di Zeno" by Italo Svevo. Jan Morris' book also seems perfect reading for my Trieste part of the trip. Thanks for the book recommendation!

Castellanese

Glad the recco's helped and look forward to a trip report. We are returning to Trieste for DH's birthday next year and plan to get back into the Dolomites.

I don't know what your interests in history are but there is also a little known and less heralded place to see in the suburbs of Trieste. During WWII, a converted rice factory was the site of the only Italian concentration camp. It is well-preserved, though not much vaunted and hard to find. My family found this most interesting and deeply moving.

There are several beautiful Austro-Hungarian style coffeehouses in Trieste. And a small one frequented by James Joyce; the tourist office has a interesting Joyce itinerary.

Ljubljana is a lovely town and I know you'll enjoy it. But look at this: http://jmstudio.fotopic.net/p61923403.html Rovinj at daybreak, with the almost-full moon still hanging in the sky, is breathtaking.

Julia, your pictures are beautiful!... Lake Bled left me breathless! Croatia and Slovenia are definitely on my list.

Thanks Tarquin for the coffee shop recommendations. I've downloaded a guidebook of Trieste that talks all about them.

Thanks for the reccommendation, I'll look up information about it.

If you decide to go to Ljubljana be careful if you are going to use public transport because the system (city bus payment method) has changed last year (in Aug.2009) - It is only possible to pay city buses with Urbana Card - more information here:

http://www.sloveniaholidays.org/slovenia-holidays/ljubljana/public-transport-in-ljubljana

Thanks, Lipe!

Just want to add my opinion about previous posts. I disagree about Trieste being underrated, I think it's been rated accordingly. Nothing too rave about. 7 days in Trieste is too long in my opinion, Duino and Miramare are close to each other and can comfortably be visited in one day. On the other hand even a day trip to Rovinj would be a pleasant change despite of its strong Italian/Venetian feel.
I agree that Ljubljana is lovely and well worth a visit but as for having its own identity as opposed to Rovinj or Piran which look very Italian, you will find that Ljubljana looks very Austrian. Baroque and Art Nouveau styles are strongly influenced by the Austrian fashion in the style of Graz and Salzburg.

Thanks Deli for your opinion. I'm still doubting about whether to visit Istria or Ljubljana. I'm still even working on my Trieste itinerary. I've never been to Austria, so I hadn't thought about it from that point of view. I'm still reading and planning. My guess is that I'll enjoy either Istria or Ljubljana.

Let's say I stay in Rovinj, how long would you stay? I won't have a car, and since I'm already doing a kind of crazy trip (I agree that Lisbon and Trieste make no sense) and I don't want to do any daytrips.

Thanks again!

If you don't want to do any day trips, then you can easily see Rovinj in a day. It is very small.

I found the name of the concentration camp in Trieste. It's the Risiera di San Babba. Thanks again for that tip LJ.